Search Results

As Trump blames Democrats for stalled nominations, the bigger problem may be man in mirrorIn the News

July 11, 2017

President Donald Trump is blaming Democrats for the slow pace of confirming his nominees, even as he lags his predecessors in tapping people for high-level positions. In a tweet on Tuesday morning, Trump said Democrats “can’t win so all they do is slow things down & obstruct!” He said only 48 of 197 nominees have been confirmed.

Trump blames 'can't win' Democrats for stalled nominationsIn the News

July 11, 2017

President Donald Trump once again on Tuesday blamed Democrats in the Senate for the slow pace of confirmation of his nominees, accusing the minority party of engaging in obstruction even though its votes are not needed in order for the president’s picks for key government jobs to win approval. “The Senate Democrats have only confirmed 48 of 197 Presidential Nominees. They can't win so all they do is slow things down & obstruct!” Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning.

Trump well behind in winning Senate confirmation of appointeesIn the News

July 11, 2017

The White House is turning up the heat on Senate Democrats for using delaying tactics to block President Donald Trump’s executive branch nominees, even as Trump trails recent presidents in the number of appointments so far. The president so far has nominated 197 persons for administration posts, of which 48 have won Senate confirmation.

Senate to delay August recess to deal with healthcare, other mattersIn the News

July 11, 2017

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Tuesday the annual August recess will be delayed three weeks to deal with healthcare, taxes, the budget and presidential nominations. "In order to provide more time to complete action on important legislative items and process nominees that have been stalled by a lack of cooperation from our friends across the aisle, the Senate will delay the start of the August recess until the third week of August," McConnell said in a statement.

July 10, 2017

Despite his campaign promise to “drain the swamp” as president, Donald Trump’s White House features the former Capitol Hill staffers, Republican National Committee staffers, elite D.C. lawyers and career employees one would expect from a typical GOP administration. Approximately 70 percent of Trump’s White House staff were working in D.C. before the start of the administration, according to a Newsweek analysis of White House employees and detailees, staff who are on loan from other federal agencies.

Running the Schumer BlockadeIn the News

July 10, 2017

The Trump Presidency is well into its seventh month but the Trump Administration still barely exists. Senate Democrats are abusing Senate rules to undermine the executive branch, and Republicans need to restore normal order.

Future of Office of Government Ethics includes keeping out of limelight, feds out of troubleIn the News

July 10, 2017

Walter Shaub’s departure as director of the Office of Government Ethics leaves not only a vacancy in an already small office, but a big question mark as to who will take the reins of a relatively unknown agency thrust into the spotlight thanks to its combative relationship with the new administration. The federal workforce and presidential appointees are familiar with the office, but outside the government realm, OGE only existed after the November election, when Shaub issued a series of tweets and made public comments on potential conflicts of interest related to President Donald Trump.

AP SPIN METER: White House, Dems trade jabs on nomineesIn the News

July 10, 2017

The White House complained on Monday that Senate Democrats are obstructing President Donald Trump’s qualified nominees. Democrats say the administration has only itself to blame for the slow pace of filling vacancies. The Senate has only confirmed 48 of 197 presidential nominations to agencies, and only two of 23 judicial nominees have been confirmed, the White House said.

July 07, 2017

Nearly six months after President Trump's inauguration, there's something missing from courthouses and federal buildings across the country: his official portrait. Typically, taking the new portrait photo that hangs in over 7,000 agencies and office buildings around the country is among the first orders of business for a new president.

Appointee Watch: Trump Announces Picks for Justice, State and Other AgenciesIn the News

July 07, 2017

The big news in federal staffing this week was the abrupt resignation of Office of Government Ethics Director Walter Shaub on Thursday. As Charlie Clark reported, although Shaub’s term runs until January, he will leave his post on July 19.

Trump administration goes on a nomination spreeIn the News

July 07, 2017

Nominations sent to the Senate by the Trump administration have picked up, with 44% of the total nominations so far coming in June, according to data from Partnership for Public Service. Why it matters: Although the administration is making progress, Trump's nominations have been delayed from the start and there are around 1,200 federal positions total to fill, per the 2016 Plumb Book, which tracks presidentially appointed positions.

July 07, 2017

The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act is a game-changer for the federal workforce and a reason to worry about the future of due process for federal employees. At the legislation’s recent White House signing ceremony, President Trump put the government’s workforce in general on notice when he said “outdated laws kept the government from holding those who failed our veterans accountable.”

26 key bioterrorism jobs the Trump administration has not yet filledIn the News

July 07, 2017

Biological threats pose some of the gravest health risks in our increasingly interconnected world. They can be naturally occurring, such as outbreaks of Ebola infections, or bioterrorism, such as the anthrax attacks in 2001. A study reported this week renews worries about human-made biological agents.

Ethics Office Director Resigns to Join Watchdog GroupIn the News

July 06, 2017

The director of the federal Office of Government Ethics, who has clashed repeatedly with the Trump administration, announced Thursday he will step down before his term ends to join a nonpartisan watchdog organization. Walter Shaub Jr. is leaving the post he’s held since January 2013 to become senior director for ethics at the Campaign Legal Center. Shaub’s resignation and new position take effect July 19.

Half of Trump’s major federal agencies still only have one Senate-confirmed appointeeIn the News

June 27, 2017

President Trump has a major staffing problem. He has been president for five months, and yet his agencies are severely understaffed at the highest levels. And, no, it's not all Senate Democrats' fault.

The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that believes good government starts with good people. We help government serve the needs of all Americans by strengthening the civil service and the systems that support it.